1Abijah dieth; Asa succeeding destroyeth idolatry. 6Having peace he strengtheneth his kingdom with forts. 8His army. 9Attacked by Zerah the Ethiopian, he calleth upon God, and smiting the Ethiopians bringeth away much spoil.
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1So Abijah 1slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and 2Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
2And Asa did that which was1good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:
3For he took away 1the altars of the strange gods, and the 2high places, and brake down the aimages, and 3cut down the groves:
4And 1commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
5Also 1he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the aimages: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6¶ And 1he built fenced cities in Judah: 2for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.
7Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; 1because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8And Asa had 1an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
9¶ And 1there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a 2thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto 3Mareshah.
10Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of 1Zephathah at Mareshah.
11And Asa 1cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is2nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for 3we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not aman prevail against thee.
12So the Lord1smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
13And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto 1Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were adestroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
14And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for 1the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
15They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.